PROTEST SITES MOVING AWAY FORM JANTAR MANTAR:MAHENDRA TIWARI

PROTEST SITES MOVING AWAY FORM JANTAR MANTAR:MAHENDRA TIWARI

14-OCT-ENG 10

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------The vitality of a democracy is not determined solely by the quality of meaningful debate between the ruling party and the opposition within Parliament; rather, its true litmus test lies in how seriously and readily the voice of the ordinary citizen is heard on the streets outside. Located in the heart of the national capital, New Delhi, Jantar Mantar has served as the primary hub for this democratic consciousness, public outrage, and civic aspirations for the past 33 years. However, acting on the recommendations of a high-level committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Delhi Police has now implemented a historic change by removing Jantar Mantar from the list of authorized protest sites. Amending a standing order from April 28, 2022, authorities have designated three new locations for sit-ins and demonstrations in the capital: Ramlila Maidan in Central Delhi, Burari Maidan in North Delhi, and the Commercial Centre Ground at Karkardooma in East Delhi. This single administrative decision has brought an end to a three-decade-old tradition of protest while simultaneously sparking a fresh debate regarding the tension between democratic rights and administrative governance.

The Jantar Mantar complex was not merely a monument housing 18th-century astronomical instruments; it had evolved into a major crucible for the social and political movements of modern India. Over its 33-year journey—spanning from 1993 to 2026—this modest stretch of road laid the groundwork for countless historic transformations. Whether it was the 2011 anti-corruption Lokpal movement, the spontaneous surge of youth following the 2012 Nirbhaya incident, the ex-servicemen's 'One Rank One Pension' agitation in 2015, or the prolonged struggle of female wrestlers in 2023, Jantar Mantar provided a platform to bring the grievances of every section of society to the national stage. For farmers, laborers, students, teachers, and marginalized groups arriving from the farthest corners of the country, this site represented a beacon of hope—a place where they felt empowered to communicate directly with the highest echelons of power. Situated just 1 to 1.5 kilometers from the Parliament House, the echoes of every voice raised here easily reached the ears of policymakers.

The administration and security agencies have valid reasons for removing protests from this historic site. Looking at immediate triggers, a massive student protest—lasting nearly 36 days in June and July 2026 over demands for the integrity of competitive examinations and educational reforms—served as the primary basis for this decision. During that agitation, the number of protesters exceeded 100,000, far surpassing Jantar Mantar's limited capacity. When this massive crowd attempted to march towards the Parliament House, security arrangements crumbled; clashes between the police and students left dozens of students and 118 police personnel injured. Furthermore, political parties and youth organizations were recently preparing for another major siege at Jantar Mantar regarding the issue of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Given the constant movement of VVIPs around the new Parliament House and Kartavya Path, as well as the security requirements of sensitive ministries, the police view the gathering of uncontrolled crowds at such close proximity as a significant risk to national security.

Beyond security concerns, the daily hardships faced by local traders and ordinary citizens have also been a major factor driving this change. Jantar Mantar is situated right next to Connaught Place and Janpath, the capital's major commercial hubs. Whenever a large-scale protest took place there, nearby arterial roads and metro stations would be shut down as a precautionary measure. This not only caused traffic jams lasting for hours but also resulted in thousands of travelers missing their trains or flights to the New Delhi railway station and the airport. Local business associations had long complained that the frequent sit-ins and blockades were causing revenue losses worth crores of rupees to businesses in Connaught Place. The Supreme Court had also previously suggested that open and spacious locations should be identified for protests—sites where public life remains undisturbed and where basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation, and medical facilities can be easily provided to the protesters.

However, looking at the other side of this administrative decision, the concerns raised by civil rights organizations and constitutional experts are extremely serious and merit consideration. The trend of pushing public movements away from the seat of power in the capital is not new; in fact, the designated protest site has been changed three times over the last four decades. Until 1988, the 'Boat Club' near India Gate served as the hub for the country's largest protests, offering a direct view of the Parliament and the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In October 1988, when 500,000 farmers led by Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait camped at the Boat Club for a week, the government imposed a permanent ban on protests there, citing security and law-and-order concerns, and Jantar Mantar was established as the new alternative in 1993. In 2017, the National Green Tribunal imposed partial restrictions on Jantar Mantar, citing environmental and noise pollution norms, and now, in 2026, it has been completely removed from the list of designated protest sites. This journey—from Boat Club to Jantar Mantar, and now from Jantar Mantar to the grounds of Burari and Karkardooma—is essentially the story of the widening physical and psychological gap between the corridors of power and the common people. In a democracy, the fundamental objective of any peaceful protest is to .is to draw attention and present one's case to the nation through national media outlets. The geographical location of Jantar Mantar lent it a special significance, where even a small group of a hundred people could become a subject of national discourse. In contrast, the Burari grounds in North Delhi or the Karkardooma area in East Delhi are situated 15 to 20 kilometers away from the main administrative hub. While shifting protests to the outskirts might make crowd management easier for the administration, there is a strong likelihood that it will diminish the visibility and effectiveness of public movements. When the voice of dissent is relegated to a remote corner far from the seat of power, it becomes very easy for the system to ignore it.

Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Indian Constitution grant every citizen the fundamental right to freedom of expression and the right to assemble peacefully and without arms. In the 2018 case of *Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan v. Union of India*, the Supreme Court clearly stated that the right of citizens to protest cannot be rendered completely ineffective or meaningless in the name of maintaining law and order. It is the administration's responsibility to strike a healthy balance between security and civil liberties. If relocating protests from Jantar Mantar due to security challenges and urban traffic congestion was indeed inevitable, the government and administration must ensure that the voices of citizens gathering at the new venues—such as Ramlila Maidan, Burari, and Karkardooma—do not go unheard. The true dignity of democracy lies in the fact that even if the venue of protest changes, the authorities' sensitivity to the grievances of the people must never diminish.